Bob Burke is a "lone castaway on Mars" after he survived a spaceship crash seven years earlier. Living in the Southern desert of Mars, he fashioned a shelter from the remnants of the spaceship. Food was plentiful, but Bob was lonely. His only friend was a Martian Gwud, "an ugly but alert creature" who followed Burke around like a faithful dog. One day after hunting with his makeshift spear, he is warned by the Gwud as he approaches his shelter. He finds what looks like a Giant Hand with eyes. The hand speaks to Burke, asking for food and shelter in exchange for helping Burke return to Earth.